A careful audit of combat support and reconstruction contracts reveals that at least $360 million in US tax dollars has gone to fund the Taliban and terrorist operations in Afghanistan. Corrupt contractors and subcontractors are responsible for the diversion of funds which have surely resulted in harm to soldiers and civilians throughout the region.

LOS ANGELES (Catholic Online) - The losses demonstrate one of the challenges the US faces in Afghanistan, specifically, rampant corruption. Private Afghan corporations are providing many support services to the US and NATO forces and are collecting payments from the military for their services. However, the audit has revealed monies flowing to nonexistent entities, and into the hands of corrupt officials and terrorists.

The review was started last year by a special task force organized by Gen. David Petraeus. The task force was asked to look into the connections that many Afghan companies had with subcontractors and criminals. The investigation revealed a process they refer to as, "reverse money laundering" in which legitimate payments are paid to contractors and diverted to subcontractors who in turn, garnish the funds and give money to terrorists or other "malign actors" as the US military refers to them.

The last full day of ordering is upon you. Orders close on this shirt on Friday, by 4pm EDT. If you haven’t bought a shirt by then, you can only hope that I have an extra shirt in your size. This is the second run of shirts, and it’s taken 3 weeks to gather together enough orders to make a decent print run. I am doubtful that there will ever be a third print run, so don’t delay.

When Obama won the election against John McCain in 2008; he did so with a majority of the white vote. That's saying a lot considering the United States is the only nation on the planet whose citizens willingly elected, as their leader, a man who hails from the very class of people that was once considered only 3/5 human.

So if we Americans have grown beyond our racist past, then why is the first black president going after communities across America because he believes they are racist for not having enough blacks and Hispanics living there? Why did Obama instruct his DOJ to stop pursuing civil rights violations committed by nonwhite Americans? Not my accusation, but that of a former leading prosecutor of the DOJ, J. Christian Adams, who resigned over the administration's refusal to prosecute black violators. Adams wrote in a commentary for the New York Times;

"Citizens would be shocked to learn about the open and pervasive hostility within the Justice department to bringing civil rights cases against nonwhite defendants on behalf of white victims. Equal enforcement of justice is not a priority of this administration. Open contempt is voiced for these types of cases.

If Obama really wants to be, as he said, the president of all Americans, then why has he not asked the DOJ to investigate the escalating black on white violence across America? After all, Obama claimed that hate crimes would not be tolerated by his administration when he signed the new hate crime legislation in October of 2009. I guess he only meant hate crimes against blacks, Hispanics, and gay people, because what is happening across America today is unconscionable. Roving mobs of black teens and young adult men are randomly beating up white people in Chicago, Peoria, Boston, Philadelphia, Akron. Then there are the reports from cities like LA and Washington D.C. where black youths have been rampaging through stores and taking whatever they want.

I would never suggest that the crimes committed against blacks in America through the years were minor, nor justified, but as bad white Americans treated blacks, there has never been instances where white teenagers roamed the parks, beaches, and fairgrounds for the express purpose of attacking people just because they are black. If they did, there would have been hell to pay by both the law and their parents.

As I pondered the lack of legal actions against the mobs of marauding blacks, I was reminded of the time in the late 1990s when Wayne LaPierre stated that then president Bill Clinton had accepted a certain amount of violence to further his pursuit of more gun-control laws. Simply put, the NRA executive accused the Clinton administration of not enforcing gun laws already on the books so that he could justify the need for stricter gun laws. Looking at the way gun violence in America decreased when Bush became president proves that LaPierre was right about the Clinton administration. As much as George Bush believed in the 2nd Amendment, he was also firm believer in enforcing the law. So unlike the prior administration Bush instructed his DOJ to enforce the gun laws on the books. An interesting, but expected, thing happens when you enforce the laws, would be criminals are less likely to violate them.

So now we have another liberal Democrat as president, and like Clinton did, he too has instructed his DOJ not to enforce a certain aspect of the law. You can always guess what a liberal administration is up to by what laws they conveniently ignore. In Obama's case it's the civil rights laws. Oh he may be enforcing certain aspects of the civil rights laws, like the ones that white Americans violate, but his justice dept is ignoring the ones violated by black Americans. I guess Obama could be accepting a certain amount of civil rights violations so he can pursue more civil rights laws, but I doubt it. No, instead I believe he has other reasons for ignoring the escalation in violence being perpetrated against white Americans since he became president.

One reason would be that I truly believe Obama is racist against white people. After all, he sat in a pew while listening to a preacher speak of the tenants of Black Liberation Theology. A cult that teaches how blacks are God's Chosen People, while white people are wicked and inferior. For 20 years he listened to such anti white rhetoric and never once tried to find another church.

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THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: At the recommendation of a local friend I decided to attend the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Wilson's Creek in Southwest Missouri. I was a bit hesitant at first for fear that the production might not do honor to the men who courageously gave their lives just a few miles from where I live. I had heard about previous attempted battle reenactments, and they didn't sound too appealing. This time however, it was different, and because it was different, something magical happened here in Southwest Missouri.

Reenactorsdressed in period costume

The 150th anniversary was a special occasion to be remembered, and so the private fields were donated adjacent to the landmark battlefield site, and the professional Civil War reenactors were brought in from all over the country. A tent city was erected with crafts, refreshments and souvenir vendors. Both Union and Confederate camps were set up down by the creek and the reenactors stayed in character for anyone who wished to browse through their tents. Conversation with these folks was amusing. Upon entering the Union camp I was promptly asked to discard the "separatists flags" we had purchased upon entering the attraction. (We had bought some small "Stars and Bars" along with the "Missouri Battle Flag.") While a high-ranking Union officer was discussing the strategies of war with us, a lower ranking officer interrupted the conversation with the report that Washington City was broke and could not send new provisions at this time. At which point one of the nearby spectators yelled "Well, I see nothing has changed!" causing the reenactors to break character for a moment to share a good laugh with the crowd.

An 1860s blacksmith
demonstrates his skills
while Union troops train for
battle in the background.

The battle reenactments were superb, as men of all ages (some old and some just boys 12 and up) engaged in marching and flanking maneuvers not used by American soldiers in over a hundred years. The battle was condensed to about an hour in length for the purpose of not keeping the spectators in the sun too long, but they duplicated the Battle of Wilson's Creek for the most part, and as best as could be expected with the limited space of just 20 acres. What really made the whole event extra special was the celebration of the life and times of the people who lived during that era. The tent city offered more attractions than just historical warfare, as it delved into the culture and lifestyle of the people who lived in Southwest Missouri at that time. There was everything from an officer's ball to a gentleman's duel. Music from the period echoed throughout the valley, and people from all over came dressed in vintage apparel. Southern Belles could be seen walking down the country paths, arm in arm with their soldier beaus. Little girls chased each other down the main walkway, dressed in clothing similar to what one might see in an episode of "Little House on the Prairie." Little boys, looking a lot like Huckleberry Finn, were playing marbles and tossing horse shoes. Of course, my own kids (dressed quite modern) joined in the festivities right along with them. For a moment, just three days total, visitors to Wilson's Creek were transported to another time in this same place. There was a connection to our past, our history, our people and our culture.

Beautiful Wilson's Creek
Southwest Missouri

What was so striking about the whole affair was how unabashedly Christian the atmosphere was. The reenactors did such a good job playing the role of people during this period, that it wasn't long before the manners of Christendom's remnant began to rub off on the rest of us. Within just minutes of arriving we found ourselves addressing each other as "sir" and "ma'am," as we gentlemen began lifting our hats off to the ladies almost instinctively.

Four prized Civil War artifacts are being returned south, to two museums in North Carolina — at least temporarily.

The Worcester Grand Army of the Republic Board of Trustees voted recently to return three captured Confederate flags to the Museum of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City, N.C. The flags were captured at the Battle of New Bern, in North Carolina on March 14, 1862, by two Union divisions manned with residents of Central Massachusetts.

The panel also voted unanimously to send a bell that was on the CSS Albemarle, which was an ironclad boat that rammed Union boats before it was sunk on Oct.27, 1864, to the Port O'Plymouth Museum in Plymouth, N.C.

One of the flags — a 36-inch tall, 66-inch wide Confederate flag that displays the words Freedom and Victory — captured at the Battle of New Bern, and the more than 50-pound cast bronze bell, are currently on exhibit at a Civil War display at the Worcester Historical Museum, 30 Elm St. They will remain there until Nov. 11.

Two of the Confederate flags captured by Union Infantry Divisions 21 and 25 at the Battle of New Bern are in storage at the National Guard Armory, 701 Lincoln St. Those flags will be sent to the Museum of the Albemarle soon, according to GAR Chairman Daniel J. McAuliffe. The one on display at the Worcester museum will be sent south after Nov. 11, he said while noting that an agreement between the GAR and the Museum of the Albemarle will be signed perhaps as early as this week.

The flags will be part of the Museum of the Albemarle's exhibit on the 150th anniversary of the Civil War that is scheduled to run until 2015, museum director Edward A. Merrell said late last week.

Meanwhile, the final paperwork on a 10-year lease with the Port O'Plymouth Museum on the bell is expected to be done soon, said Mr. McAuliffe, who noted he plans to drive the bell to the museum once the Worcester exhibit closes.

“All four items are very highly prized,” said Mr. McAuliffe, who noted they have been kept through the years at the former GAR Hall on Pearl Street as well as the Worcester Historical Museum. “Of all the artifacts that were brought back, these were four of the most prized possessions.”

“NUTS,” answers West.

New Times – The Florida chapter of the Terrorist Front Group (CAIR) Council on American-Islamic Relations sent a letter to Rep. Allen West at the beginning of the month with a request — quit palling around with Islamophobes. The letter, from CAIR South Florida Executive Director Nezar Hamze, specifically asked West to cut his ties with Pamela Geller, Robert Spencer, Joe Kaufman, and Joyce Kaufman, among others.

In classic Allen West elegance, he responded to the letter — under his official congressional letterhead — with one word: “NUTS!”

Hamze tells the Pulp he thinks West’s use of “NUTS!” is likely a reference to the phrase of World War II lore, which translates to “go to hell.” Hamze’s official response: “Allen West continues his baseless rhetoric and schoolboy insults.”

Unless you've been living under a rock - like the guys in the Geico commercial - you've probably heard about how two local businessmen were arrested Aug. 5 on charges related to arson by the ATF as well as the Texas Rangers and the local police department.

Regardless of the charges and the individuals involved, what immediately rubbed people the wrong way was how one businessman was arrested in broad daylight at his place of business while it was full of customers.

One man had been notified that there were warrants for his arrest, and he was allowed to turn himself in. But the other was led away in handcuffs after patrons were told to hit the linoleum.

In his column the following Tuesday, Bob Palmer wrote: "ATF agents visited Mount Pleasant last week. From the mess they made of arresting two local businessmen, you would have thought a circus parade had passed through town. Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms officers indulged themselves with an unnecessary display of power and force. If they want to wear combat boots, wave automatic weapons around and scare local citizens, I suggest they volunteer for Kandahar, Afghanistan. This sort of histrionics was not warranted in a routine serving of a warrant."

Before that day was out, a letter rebutting Bob's opinion - four times as long as his original comments - was at the newspaper, written by Clay Alexander, the ATF Resident Agent in Charge

Aside from the obvious chilling effect intended by Agent Alexander in responding so quickly and thoroughly to Bob's comments, my first reaction was that it must be nice to have a government job so you can sit around and monitor free speech by citizens. "Big Brother is Watching You"

Agent Alexander, this is Texas. The people here are feisty and independent. Whether guns were drawn or not, whether you yelled or not, whether you told people to hit the deck or not, people resent being pushed around and being told what to do.

Whose brilliant idea was it to arrest this guy in broad daylight in a fast-food restaurant? Why the large turnout? Were you afraid he'd lob a box of seasoned curly fries at you?

You managed to do something that I would have thought otherwise impossible - you made the miscreant look sympathetic.

I hold the Mount Pleasant PD blameless in this incident. I know they have too much common sense to have invented such a cockamamie plot. This kind of out-of-touch thinking only comes from feds.

Don't bother to send me a rebuttal, Agent Alexander. I have to work hard for a living, I've never held a government job, and I have little patience with people like you who do. Get a real job and off the public payroll and find out what it's like to live under a domineering government during a Recession. You probably won't like it, either.

In conclusion, here's a scenario to ponder, folks: Rick Perry wins the election for President. Obama gets maybe 20 percent of the vote in Titus County.

Our national establishment, having had enough under George Bush, abrogates the election, declares martial law, and keeps Obama in office indefinitely.

Federal law enforcement authorities already in place, such as Agent Alexander, are charged with "pacifying" recalcitrant districts, such as Titus County.

Was that arrest on Aug. 5 a "test-run' for when that day comes and federal agents come into our homes and businesses unimpeded to let us know who's really boss?

Baltimore MD cop sentenced to 17yrs prison on manslaughter and firearm violation charges for shooting an unarmed Iraq war vet to death outside a nightclub while drunk because he pinched a woman’s butt that he was with. [0] bit.ly/rcAoYm

Norfolk VA police are being sued by the wife of a police recruit who died after receiving several blows to the head during police self-defense training [0] bit.ly/qRHiFU

2 Ottawa ON cops are under investigation after a woman who called police to help a man she found asleep on the sidewalk accused them of using excessive force on that 50-year-old homeless man when they slammed him face-first onto the pavement without cause, resulting in facial fractures. She also claims the police tried to cover it up. [3] bit.ly/qHT3PW

Athena OR cop was sentenced to 115 months, almost 10 years, for child pornography & sexual crimes against a 15yr-old girl [0] bit.ly/qWXd94

Oklahoma State trooper was charged with 2nd degree rape of a woman he pulled over for DUI while on-duty [0] bit.ly/n5cIH2

Hartford CT police sued by man shown on video being beaten into unconsciousness by 2 cops in holding cell as 2 supervisors ignored it [0] cour.at/qjzK5r

Topeka KS settles suit for $300k to 2 brothers shot by 4 off-duty cops at their home during an altercation over noise [0] bit.ly/pOuiWU

Meriden CT now faces a 3rd lawsuit alleging brutality by the police chief’s son and a subsequent cover-up by the department [3] bit.ly/nreURi

Spartanburg County SC deputy resigns while under investigation for allegedly punching & choking a cuffed man over an insult [0] bit.ly/r1Jgbz

Baltimore MD settles suit for $30k to man claiming a cop beat him after he called police to report domestic abuse [3] bit.ly/o7Y12Q

Denver CO settled a suit by the ACLU for $200k and promised reforms involving mass arrests during the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Those police actions are forever seared in our brains thanks to a shirt subsequently sold by the police union to celebrate how they handled the protests. [0] http://bit.ly/mXGZXD

Albuquerque NM cop fired & another suspended for violating policies involving what they were doing at the scene of where a fellow cop was accused of murdering his wife and making it look like suicide [1] bit.ly/qJRAdP

Chicago IL cop pleads guilty to felony bribery charge as part of fed probe into a towing extortion scheme, he’s the 6th to plea so far [0] trib.in/pNBMPY

Spencer NC police sued by cop claiming negligence in the hiring of a cop who shot him multiple times w/automatic pellet gun. That cop was hired despite having to resign in lieu of firing from another agency and who only received a reprimand over the incident. However, it does sound like the plaintiff in this case might be exaggerating his injuries just a tiny bit. [0] http://t.co/q5gydBj

Chula Vista CA cop gets probation for guilty plea to DUI and “capping” charges when he was stopped after caught cheating at a casino blackjack table [0] bit.ly/oQamen

I also wanted to say thank you to the 3,000+ people now following our News Feed on Twitter. Thank you all so very much for your support!

A Baltimore judge had harsh words Tuesday for city police officer Gahiji Tshamba, calling his actions "repugnant" and sentencing him to 15 years in prison in the shooting death last year of an unarmed Marine veteran outside a Mount Vernon bar.

Hargadon sentenced the officer to seven years for voluntary manslaughter and eight years for using a handgun in a crime of violence, with an additional two-year term held in suspension. He called the early morning incident between two intoxicated men -- Tyrone Brown, who touched a woman inappropriately, and Tshamba, who pulled his service weapon to defend her honor -- "truly tragic." And he chastised Tshamba for showing no apparent remorse after the shooting; instead, talking with a fellow officer about "hot chicks" that had been with him that night.

"You showed a serious lack of insight into what you had just done and a disturbing sense of detachment," Hargadon said.

He ordered Tshamba, 38, to undergo assessments for mental health and alcohol abuse upon release and to serve two years of probation.

Brown's family and friends had argued for the statutory maximum of 30 years during the lengthy and emotional hearing, while Tshamba's supporters pleaded for mercy. Members of each side wiped away tears as the sentence was announced.

No Perry and no Romney for starters.
======================================

James Richard “Rick” Perry assumed the governorship of Texas in 2000 when he took over from George W. Bush, who resigned to take the oath of office of President. He holds all records for Texas gubernatorial tenure. Perry has the distinction of being the only governor in modern Texas history to have appointed at least one person to every possible state office, board, or commission position which requires gubernatorial appointment (as well as to several elected offices to which the governor can appoint someone to fill an unexpired term, such as six of the nine current members of the Texas Supreme Court).

Perry was born in 1950 in West Texas to rancher parents. His father was a Democrat on the school board of Haskell County and was also a commissioner. Rick Perry graduated in 1972 from Texas A & M with a degree in animal science. After graduation, he was commissioned in the United States Air Force, completed pilot training and flew C-130 tactical airlift in the United States, the Middle East, and Europe until 1977. He left the Air Force with the rank of captain, returned to Texas and went into business farming cotton with his father. Sounds good so far, doesn’t he?

Perry said that his interest in politics probably began in November 1961, when his father took him to the funeral of Sam Rayburn, (Mr. Democrat) who during his long public career served as speaker of the Texas House and the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1984, Perry was elected to the Texas House of Representatives as a Democrat from a district that included his home county of Haskell. He served three two-year terms in office. He befriended fellow freshman state representative Lena Guerrero of Austin, a staunch liberal Democrat who endorsed Perry’s reelection bid in 2006 on personal, rather than philosophical grounds.

Perry supported Al Gore in the 1988 Democratic presidential primaries and was chairman of the Gore campaign in Texas. In 1989, Perry announced he was joining the Republican Party. Perry is a member of the National Governors Association (NGA). Bill Clinton is the only member of the NGA who ever became president of the United States.

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1. Ron Paul is a honest and humble man who keeps his word. Barack Obama is an egoistic liar, a traitor and a betrayer who will say anything to get elected. The American people have seen through the Obama facade so it is less likely that he will pull the wool over their eyes in 2012 as he did in 2008.

2. Ron Paul is against the criminal and unconstitutional War on Terror and War on Drugs, while President Obama is for both. Numerous polls show that over 70 percent of the American people want both wars to end, especially the younger generation.

3. Ron Paul's economic policies will save Social Security and Medicare. Even though he is ideologically against such government programs because of his libertarian philosophy, Paul has said that he would end the wars to help pay for Social Security and Medicare so seniors get the money that rightfully belongs to them. However, Paul has said that he would allow the younger generation to opt out of Social Security and Medicare if they want.
What is President Obama's economic plan? Let the treasonous banks on Wall Street, the evil Federal Reserve and the military-industrial complex burn the place down and destroy Social Security and Medicare. Also, the Obama administration and the new Super Congress will impose austerity measures on the American people, leaving millions of people homeless, jobless, and hopeless.
Obama's gullible political base have no idea that their leader's economic policies will destroy Social Security and Medicare, and ruin the American middle class.
Obama is not a president of the people, he is an assassin for the banks and corporate looters.

4. Ron Paul is not a political candidate, he is a revolutionary in the tradition of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, and George Washington. He is not running a political campaign, he is trying to liberate and save America.
The political, financial and media establishment in the United States is the modern version of the British Empire and King George III. If the media traitors on CNN, Fox News and MSNBC were alive in 1776 they would've called George Washington a domestic terrorist and demanded his head.
Barack Obama is a whore for the establishment who wants to protect the evil status quo, not a man who wants change as he falsely advertised in his 2008 presidential campaign.

5. A CNN poll from May 2011 showed that Rep. Paul has the best chance among Republicans of defeating President Barack Obama in a head-to-head election. An excerpt from the article:

Who does best against Obama? Paul. The congressman from Texas, who also ran as a libertarian candidate for president in 1988 and who is well liked by many in the tea party movement, trails the president by only seven points (52 to 45 percent) in a hypothetical general election showdown.

If Paul and Obama were to face-off in a televised debate it is clear who would win: Paul. Obama has no integrity and no ideas of his own. He is a mere puppet, a whore, a cheater. If Obama didn't have the treasonous banks on Wall Street, the Federal Reserve, the Madison Avenue propaganda machine, the military-industrial complex and the shadow government behind him then he would be a nobody.

Obama is a manufactured man who is shallow and empty inside like 99% of politicians, including Perry, Romney, Clinton, McCain, Bachmann, etc. Paul, on the other hand, is full of integrity and honour. He has raised himself up to where he is now through hard work, staying on message, patience, keeping his word, and telling the truth.

6. Paul is the anecdote to the poison of executive power, endless wars, big bank scams, and corporate looting of the public purse. Obama has embraced the poison and unsuccessfully tried to shove it down the American people's throat. He is a spiritless agent of Sauron, and Paul is Gandalf the White, who after his brief electoral death in 2008, has risen to become more dominant and more powerful this time around.

With the fellowship of truth and liberty behind him 100 percent, Paul is perfectly positioned politically to destroy the evil Sauron and liberate America from his deadly grip on the American mind.

Thiel has been a big backer of the Seasteading Institute, which seeks to build sovereign nations on oil rig-like platforms to occupy waters beyond the reach of law-of-the-sea treaties. The idea is for these countries to start from scratch--free from the laws, regulations, and moral codes of any existing place. Details says the experiment would be "a kind of floating petri dish for implementing policies that libertarians, stymied by indifference at the voting booths, have been unable to advance: no welfare, looser building codes, no minimum wage, and few restrictions on weapons."

A top Republican senator slammed the Justice Department for reportedly promoting the supervisors of the failed anti-gunrunning sting operation Fast and Furious, which is under a federal and congressional investigation after weapons linked to program were used in a December attack in Mexico that killed a U.S. border patrol agent.

The three supervisors -- William Newell and David Voth, both field supervisors who managed the program out of the agency’s Phoenix office, and William McMahon, who was the ATF’s deputy director of operations in the West -- are being transferred to Washington for new management positions at the agency’s headquarters, the newspaper reported.

“Until Attorney General (Eric) Holder and Justice Department officials come clean on all alleged gun-walking operations, including a detailed response to allegations of a Texas-based scheme, it is inconceivable to reward those who spearheaded this disastrous operation with cushy desks in Washington,” said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

How about 146 years, then we'll be on the same shore?
=============================================

I admit I do not fully understand Ron Paul and his beliefs. But I do understand when a guy gets shafted, and Ron Paul just got shafted.

On Saturday, the Ames Straw Poll was conducted in Iowa amid huge media interest and scrutiny. The results were enough to force one Republican candidate, Tim Pawlenty, out of the race, and catapult another, Michele Bachmann, into the “top tier.”

There are so many “top tier” stories in the media today that I can barely count them, let alone read them all, and Bachmann is in all of them by virtue of her victory at Ames. The rest of the tier is made up of two candidates who skipped Ames, Rick Perry and Mitt Romney.

As The Daily Beast put it: “The new top tier of Bachmann, Perry, and Romney — created by Bachmann’s Iowa straw poll win, Perry’s entry into the race and Romney’s lead so far in many national and state polls — has unleashed torrents of talk about the reshaped race.”

Paul’s name was not mentioned in this piece nor in many others. A Wall Street Journal editorial Monday magnanimously granted Paul’s showing in the straw poll a parenthetical dismissal: “(Libertarian Ron Paul, who has no chance to win the nomination, finished a close second.)”

But “close” does not fully describe Paul’s second-place finish. Paul lost to Bachmann by nine-tenths of one percentage point, or 152 votes out of 16,892 cast.

If it had been an election, such a result would almost certainly have triggered a recount. It was not an election, however, and that is my point. Straw polls are supposed to tell us, like a straw tossed into the air, which way the wind is blowing.

And any fair assessment of Ames, therefore, would have said the winds of the Republican Party are blowing toward both Bachmann and Paul.

Nonsense, some would say. Straw polls are just organized bribery, with the campaigns buying the tickets and distributing them to supporters. (And, in fact, this is what I wrote before Ames.)

What they really show, many argue, is not where the philosophical heart of the party is, but the organizational abilities of the candidates.

Fine, I’ll buy that. But why didn’t Paul get the same credit for his organizational abilities as Bachmann did for hers?

I am far from a Libertarian. I believe big government is swell as long as it does big things to help the common good. But after Ames, it was as if Paul had been sentenced to the Phantom Zone.

Bachmann appeared on five Sunday shows following Ames. Paul appeared on none. POLITICO’s Kasie Hunt was one of the few reporters to do a separate story on Paul’s showing at the straw poll, but to most of the media he remained an exotic, unworthy of attention.

And I don’t disagree that some of his beliefs — legalizing heroin, the right of states to secede — are strikingly peculiar (though he has been elected to a congressional district in Texas 12 times). But if Bachmann’s victory at Ames was good enough to gain her enormous publicity and top-tier status, why was Paul’s virtual tie good enough only to relegate him to being ignored?

Corey from the excellent new Survival Logic blog wrote me to mention that for a limited time Amazon is offering David Black's primer Living off the Grid free of charge. (It is normally $10.28.) Corey notes: "If you don't already have the Kindle software on your computer, it'll prompt you to download a free copy and install to your PC. If you already have a Kindle reader, then it is even easier."

Remembrance

To die for one’s country is not only an act of bravery, it is THE act of bravery. For soldiers, it is just an extension of their military career, a part of their duty. As leaders have asked their soldiers to sacrifice themselves for the good of the society, it is only right for leaders to go through the same motion. They should practice what they have preached.

As war is seen as a noble act, tu sat serves as redemption in case of defeat. It is also a way to tell the enemy: “You might have won the battle/war but you don’t deserve to win because you don’t have the chinh nghia (just cause).” And it is not only just cause: it is the moral belief that the cause they are fighting for deserves their total sacrifice. Continues below

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Core Creek Militia

==============================My sixth great grandfather, his wife, and five of his six children were killed in battle with the Tuscarora Indians at Core Creek, NC.

The Seven Blackbirds

==============================My third great grandfather was an Ensign in the Revolutionary War, and saved his unit's flag after being wounded at the Battle of Brandywine. He was also at Kingston (Kinston), Wilmington, Charleston, Two Sisters and Augusta. He was at the defeat at Brier Creek and also Bee Creek.

Requiem Aeternam -
Eternal Rest Grant unto Them
==============================
My second great grandfather was killed in action on May 3, 1863 at the Battle of Chancellorsville.
=============================
My great grandfather and great uncle knew all the men in the "Civil War Requiem" video as they were part of the 53rd NC which was the sole unit defending Fort Mahone. (Fort Mahone was named "Fort Damnation" by the Yankees) *Handpicked men of the 53rd (My great grandfather was one of these) made the final, night assault at Petersburg in an attempt to break Grant's line. This was against Fort Stedman which was a few miles to the slight northeast. They initially succeeded, but reinforcements drove them back. This video is made from photographs which were taken the day after the 53rd evacuated the lines the night before to begin the retreat to Appomattox. I have many more pictures taken by the same photographer, one of these shows a 14 year old boy and the other is the famous picture of the blond, handsome soldier with his musket.
===========================
*General Gordon promised the men a gold medal and 30 days leave if they accomplished their task and many years after the War my great grandfather wrote General Gordon, who was then governor of Georgia about this incident. They exchanged several letters which I have framed. See first link below.
===========================
*The Attack On Fort Stedman
============================
"His Colored Friends"
============================
Lee's Surrender
=============================
My Black NC Kinfolks
============================
Punished For Being Caught!

Great Grandfather Koonce

He was a drummer boy in the WBTS, survived the War only to die a few years later. He was caught in an ice storm on his way home, but instead of seeking shelter, continued on his horse until the end. His clothes had to be cut off and he died a few days later.